And Still
by stripedkneehighsocks
Summary: Post season 2 finale.  What happens when feelings and unexpected circumstances complicate forgiveness?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Rizzoli and Isles fic, be gentle! I'm not sure if I'll continue this; it was just a little idea I had after listening to a couple shippy songs today. I own nothing, unfortunately. All rights to the respective writers, directors, producers blah blah. Enjoy!**

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><p><em>Seven weeks had gone by since the shooting in the warehouse. The funeral for Paddy Doyle was private and Constance and Maura had been the only attendees. As she was exiting the cemetery, Maura caught a glimpse of Jane in her unmarked car, sitting just outside the entrance. Her eyes flashed in shock that Jane had been brave enough to show her face at the place where the man she shot was being buried. Maura had quickly glanced away, taking her mother's arm and getting into the passenger side of Constance's car. She had not returned any of Jane's calls, but she had each voicemail message saved. She missed her friend. She knew she should hate her and blame her for the death of her biological father, but she couldn't bring herself to hate Jane. No, Maura could never hate Jane. She could never hate someone she loved. After the death of Paddy Doyle, all Maura had wanted to do was to crawl into Jane's arms and let her comfort her and soothe her pain. The forgiveness had come instantly, and in that instant, Maura knew she was in love with Jane. She had been wrong when she said Ian was the love of her life. It was Jane. It was always Jane. <em>

_Maura had been down in the morgue, mulling over her thoughts as she was performing an autopsy on a routine suicide, when she heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Detective Frost came into the room, wincing not so subtly at the opened Y incision on their latest victim, and she looked up and gave him a sympathetic smile._

_"How can I help you Barry?" Maura had asked gently, as the young man stood awkwardly, not knowing how to deliver the news to the medical examiner. "Is it about the case?"_

_"No…erhm…it's about Jane." Frost mumbled, looking at the floor._

_A momentary wave of panic gripped Maura, and she grabbed the edge of the autopsy table with her free hand. "Is she alright?" _

_"No…I mean…yeah, Jane's fine…I mean, physically…I mean…" _

_"Just spit it out Barry!" Maura exclaimed impatiently, a little more forcibly than she intended._

_"Jane's pregnant."_

_Maura's eyes had widened slightly, before masking her emotions. She bent down over the corpse, trying to focus on the woman on the table in front of her, but tears kept blurring her vision. "Agent Dean's?" _

_"Yes." Frost was shifting nervously on his feet now, sensing the tension that hovered like a cloud in the air. _

_"Thank you for telling me. I will find you when I have my report completed." Maura was back in work mode now, finding comfort in finding out every detail about their victim. _

_After Frost left the room, Maura put down her scalpel and took off her glove, running a hand through her blonde waves. She slouched, resting her backside on the nearest empty table, and finally let the tears that had been threatening to spill out fall into the hand covering her face._

_Frost had been watching from the other side of the window, feeling slightly guilty for spying on the doctor, but she had been too absorbed in emotion to notice. He shook his head as he walked back up to the squad room._

_Maura had turned in her resignation the next day. Cavanaugh had been expecting something from the ME like a request for time off, but not a resignation. He had told her they would hate to see her go, and she smiled lightly, shaking his hand before walking out the door. As the doors began to close on the elevator, a hand stuck between the door, and Korsak squeezed in. He had turned to her quickly, gentling his tone before he spoke._

_"She should know, don't you think?" Vince put a hand on her arm, giving it a slight squeeze, as Maura avoided his gaze._

_"I can't Vince. She is carrying his child. She shot my father defending him, and now she has a chance to have what she wants." Maura's eyes blurred, inwardly cursing her lachrymal glands. _

_Korsak was quiet for a minute before he responded softly. "Yeah, but what about what you want? I know Jane, she loves you. She's been miserable ever since the shooting, and she needs her best friend, especially now."_

_"I can't be her best friend. Tell her whatever you want, but promise me Vince, that you won't tell Jane the real reason why I'm leaving. She'll think I'm angry with her and that I can't work with her because of that day. Let her think that. Please." Her eyes begged with him, and his heart broke at the sight of the distraught medical examiner._

_"I won't tell her Maura, but you should." _

_"It's for the best." And with that, Maura Isles walked out the front door of the Boston precinct._

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><p>Maura was out in the warm Boston air, picking up a few groceries on her way home from work. It had been a year since she left the Boston precinct, and she had gotten another job as the ME for another precinct. She liked her new job, and she got along with her coworkers, but it was just business. It was just a job to her. She turned from the store, walking her groceries to her car, and caught a glimpse of unruly dark hair bobbing in the wind. Maura froze, dropping her grocery bag to the pavement. <em>Jane.<em>

_Thousands of people live in this town_

_And I had to run into you._

Jane's eyes found her before she could move. Something flashed in her eyes but was instantly masked by the detectives signature smile. She walked up to Maura, picking up the groceries from the ground and handed them back to the woman.

_She walked up to me _

_Looked in my eyes_

_And still, the world stood still._

_I couldn't move and all I could feel_

_Was this aching in my heart_

_Saying I loved her still._

"Maura," the detectives husky voice had not changed, and Maura's breath caught in her throat. "How have you been?"

Maura couldn't help the smile that split her face at the familiar voice of her best friend. "I'm doing just fine Jane, I can't complain." The people rushed by on the street, as the two women picked up right where they left off.

Jane couldn't help but hug the smaller woman. "I've missed you Maura, so much."

_And still my world stood still_

_I couldn't move _

_And all I could feel_

_Was this aching in my heart_

_Saying I loved her still._

The two women reluctantly broke the embrace, forgetting they were in a crowded street in Boston, when a dark haired Agent Dean walked up to Jane. He put his arm around Jane's back, and Jane tensed slightly at the contact before shrugging into his side a bit in recognition, her gaze never breaking from Maura's. Maura gave Jane her best smile, but she was dying inside.

"We gotta go now, it's getting late. It was so good to see you Maur." Jane smiled at the honey blonde before they turned and walked away.

_And still_

_My world stood still_

_I couldn't move_

_And all I could feel_

_Was this aching in my heart_

_Saying I loved her._

_Still._

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><p><strong>I hate Agent Dean as much as the rest of us Rizzles shippers, but I blame all the angsty music I've been listening to today. I'm not sure if I should continue or leave this as a one shot. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think! :)<strong>_  
><em>


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am overwhelmed at the positive feedback that I've gotten from this story; I was so surprised, and I've decided to continue this fic, as there is so much potential for where I can take it. Thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed, subscribed, and favorited. I am so appreciative of you all. Let's see where this story goes! Thanks for coming along for the ride! All rights to TNT, writers, producers, etc. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

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><p>Maura stumbled into her door, before fumbling with her keys and struggling to unlock the offending obstacle. She had been in a trance since running into Jane on the street, unable to think, but somehow wound up at a bar a few blocks down. The bartender had served her the martini she requested, noting the look on her face, and had communicated silently with any of the men that had started to approach her, and they respectfully backed away. She did not look at anything except her drink the entire time, and the man sighed, knowing he would need to call a cab for this one later. Maura signaled time and time again for another, and he cut her off before her sixth.<p>

"A cab is waiting outside for you miss." The older man gave her a sympathetic smile, wondering what man put her in his barstool like that.

Maura met his eyes briefly before sweeping away, thanking him wordlessly, and she inwardly cursed her high heeled Choos while walking away, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. She slid into the awaiting cab, reciting her address to the cab driver as she leaned her head against the cool window of the taxi. _Jane. She looked so beautiful, but so different. Almost…haunted. Like a ghost of the woman I used to know. And then Dean…_the name made her stomach heave, the contents of her stomach churned around with the alcohol she had ingested. Maura took a deep breath in an attempt to sober herself up and keep the remainder of her dignity. She tipped the driver heavily, not caring that she'd thrusted a hundred dollar bill into his hand.

She burst into her door, and jumped out of her skin when she saw a figure sitting at her kitchen table.

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><p>Jane unlocked her apartment door, walking in and grabbed a beer from the fridge before ambling over to her couch where she plopped down and put her feet up on the coffee table, crossing one leg over the other and flipped on the television. Her mind was racing as was her heart rate, which had been erratic since running into Maura on the street. She absentmindedly flipped through the channels, settling on SportsCenter. Jane took a swig of her beer, feeling the icy liquid flood through her throat and down through her body. She closed her eyes, relishing in the feeling, and as a weight settled down beside her, her eyes fluttered open, seeing Gabriel settling in next to her, a beer in hand and a plate of leftover gnocchi. There was no exchange of words, just routine that they had grown accustomed to.<p>

"Wow…so Maura…" Gabriel let the sentence trail off, not sure how to form his thoughts to Jane.

"Yeah, you know what, I think I'm just going to go to bed, alright?" Jane picked up her empty bottle, tossing it in the trash can on her way to the bedroom. Gabriel Dean let her go, watching her back as she shuffled towards the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She leaned against the door, sagging down against it before collapsing onto the floor, and Jane Rizzoli silently began to break down.

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><p>"Angela, what are you doing here?" Maura exclaimed, placing a hand against her racing heart, the other hand bracing herself against the wall. She flipped the rest of the lights on, bending down to slide the straps off of her sling backs, proving to be a much more difficult task in her intoxicated state. She hadn't seen much of Angela Rizzoli since she left BPD; the woman had steered clear of Maura's place, although the doctor had never asked her to leave, as it wasn't in her nature to do that.<p>

"I think it's time we have a little talk." Angela's motioned to the medical examiner, who awkwardly maneuvered into a chair, putting her head in her hands when the older woman placed a glass of water in front of her.

"Thank you," she mumbled, running a hand through her messy blonde curls, taking a long sip of the water, it's refreshing taste coursing through her system.

Angela sat down across from her, and took one of Maura's hands in hers. "Jane told me she saw you today."

Maura averted her gaze, willing the tears that were threatening her vision to go away.

"What happened between you and my daughter?" Angela's voice was soft, comforting, in a motherly tone that Maura had grown to appreciate from the older woman. "I know it wasn't just the warehouse shooting."

"Angela, I really don't think what happened between Jane and I has any relevance; it's in the past. It is what it is." Maura spoke quietly, but Angela was a clever woman and did not miss the crack in the honey blonde's voice when she said Jane's name.

"How long?"

"How long…?"

"How long have you been in love with my daughter?" Angela kept her eyes on Maura, and when the medical examiner looked back up at her with widened tear-filled eyes, her suspicions were confirmed. Maura moved swiftly, surprisingly quick for her state, and went to the couch where she plopped down with her head in her hands, her body wracked with silent sobs. "Oh honey." Angela picked up the discarded glass, bringing it to the end table and setting it by Maura before sitting down and enveloping the younger woman in her arms. Maura leaned into her, letting herself be comforted by the most maternal figure she knew, her tears falling freely from her eyes. After a few minutes, her body quieted into soft hiccups, and she reached for her water glass. Angela angled her body toward her, picking up her hand and squeezing it gently.

Maura took a deep breath, too overcome with her emotions to keep them in any longer. "I've suspected my feelings for Jane have changed from platonic for quite some time now. Ever since that terrible day when Bobby Marino took her hostage…" Maura's eyes fluttered shut as she remembered.

_Down in the morgue, Jane putting her arm over her, shielding her from Marino, and telling her it would be fine as he dragged her upstairs. The SWAT team bursted in only moments later, and all she could think about was Jane. Running up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, only thinking about getting to Jane. Then, her voice. Jane's voice. Hoarse and raised, instructing her colleagues to take the shot. No. Not her Jane. Her Jane. The door seemed so far away, and she finally pushed it open, sunlight blinding her as she screamed out her name and heard the shot. Jane collapsing on the sidewalk, a bullet through her stomach, so much blood. Everywhere. Jane's blood. Her Jane. _

Fresh tears streaked her face as she opened her eyes. "I couldn't lose her. She was my best friend. I've never had a best friend before. It was always Jane."

"My daughter always had a way of making people worry about her." Angela rolled her eyes, prompting a tiny chuckle from Maura, knowing that someone understood her constant worries for Jane.

"It's her job, she loves it, more than anything. I just…I needed to be sure she wasn't going to leave me again like that. So I didn't tell her about my suspicions about my feelings for her. I couldn't bear the thought of her walking away and losing the only best friend I've ever had. But I lost her anyway."

"You didn't lose her Maura, you walked away." Angela leaned back as Maura tipped her glass upwards, sipping her water again, feeling the alcohol's effects ebbing away.

"I had to. Ever since Barry told me she was pregnant…I was going to tell her, you know. After the warehouse shooting, I was so angry with her. But after 7 weeks of not having Jane around, not having my best friend, all I felt for her was forgiveness, and love. And then she got pregnant with Gabriel, and I knew I couldn't come between the life she could have, but I knew I couldn't stand to see them together, see him having everything I wanted with her. But she could be happy, happy with him and happy with their baby, and all that I've ever wanted was for her to be happy."

Angela sat silently, processing this information, and it was minutes before she finally spoke. "Maura, darling, Jane was a wreck after you left. You didn't even say goodbye to her. She didn't talk for days at a time, except at work. She functioned automatically, like a robot or something, refusing to speak to anyone about you, even to Agent Dean. She didn't eat, and she didn't sleep. I moved in with her, sleeping on the pull out couch and listened to her crying out through her nightmares. My daughter was anything but happy."

"But now she is, she has the family she wanted, and her and Gabriel are making a life with each other." Maura felt sick to her stomach, and this time she knew it wasn't the alcohol. Her whole body ached, the pain radiating from her chest and pulsating through her body.

"You need to talk to Jane. I know there were a lot of things that happened between you and her, but you need to talk to her."

"I don't think that's a good idea Angela, every time that I think about her my heart aches. I can't put myself through this, I can't be her best friend again."

Angela shook her head. "You know the number. I know my daughter, she would want to hear from you. And you know, you're the only one who could keep her nightmares away."

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><p>Jane's phone buzzed on the bedside table, and she looked at the clock on the table. <em>1:30am. <em>She groaned, and picked it up.

"Rizzoli."

"Jane." Jane's eyes widened at the voice on the other end, now completely awake and she slipped out of bed, leaving a snoring Gabriel Dean under the sheets. "Did I wake you?"

Jane padded to the living room, sinking down into the couch, curling her legs up next to her. "No uh…I was awake. Nightmares…you know." _Dammit, why did I just tell her that? She's not calling to talk about my problems. "_I'm uh, well, I'm surprised you called."

"Me too. Jane, I completely understand if you don't say yes to this, but I'd like to speak with you, in person." Maura felt her voice waver as she heard a soft sigh on the other end, her heart pounding in trepidation at the thought of rejection from Jane.

"Yeah…no, I uh, I'd like that. Your place?" Jane grabbed her BPD sweatshirt from where it was draped across the back of the couch and picked up her keys from the counter.

"Oh, well, yes, I wasn't aware you meant tonight, but yes, of course. I don't want to interrupt your family though." Maura's heart clenched as she said those words, thoughts of Jane sleeping in the same bed as that man and their baby in a crib next to their bed. _Their bed._ She shuddered violently, as she polished off the rest of her glass of water.

"No, Maura, it's fine. I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" Jane slipped on her slippers that were at the foot of the couch, and ended the call, peeking back in her bedroom.

"Gabe…Gabe…" She shook him slightly, before whispering in the dark that she was going to Maura's, and she would be back later. He mumbled out his acknowledgment before resuming his snoring, and she eased out the front door, going down the stairs, knowing this would probably be one of the longest nights of her life.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Normally I don't update this quickly, but for some reason, this story is just flowing from me! Thanks for all the reviews; I take each one to heart and I love to toss around your input in my brain when I'm writing...it's almost like you're all here forming this story with me. I know we all want to see our favorite gals together, but there's more than a couple bumps along the way. I try very hard to keep everything fresh and as original as possible, while keeping the characters as "in character" as I can. Constructive criticism is always welcome; don't be shy; it's how I better myself in my writing! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter, and as always, leave me your thoughts :) All rights to TNT, JTam, Tess, etc. **

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><p>Two beams of light flashed into the darkened living room, and Maura got up, heart pounding in her chest, and floated over to the windows, her fingers lightly pulling back the curtain. The detective's dark squad car was parked outside, and through the dark, Maura could see the dark haired woman sitting in the car. She let the curtain flutter back into place.<p>

Jane was nervously rubbing her hands, the ache almost unbearable. She clenched her fists, before taking a deep breath and opening the car door. Her slipper clad feet hit the cement of Maura's driveway, and she shut the door quietly. Jane took a deep breath and raised her fist to the door. Before it could make contact, the door swung open, and Maura Isles stood in front of her. The slight wind rustled Jane's dark curls, blowing a few wisps across her face, and she tucked them behind her ear.

"Jane," Maura said softly, clearing her throat, and she remembered her manners. "Please, come in." She stood back from the door, her arm gesturing inside as Jane passed in front of her. The smell of lavender wafted by Maura, and she inhaled the sweet smell. The pounding in her heart calmed slightly at the familiar reminder of Jane. She sighed. _I've missed you._

Jane sat down on the couch in Maura's house, sinking back into the cushions in her familiar way, while Maura took a detour for the kitchen.

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

"I suppose you don't have any of my beer anymore." Jane chuckled, then her eyes widened in surprise at the bottle that was placed on the end table next to her. Maura sat on the other end of the couch, tucking her legs underneath her and tipping her bottle back, earning a smirk and a raised eyebrow from Jane. "So, you drink beer now?"

"Some things have changed Jane."

"Yeah." Jane looked down where her hands were insecurely wrapped around each other, and Maura followed her gaze, her heart surging with an ache knowing Jane was hurting. Her instinct was to go to Jane and take her hands in her own, but she held back. She had no right to comfort Jane anymore.

Maura placed her bottle on the table nearest her, and clasped her own hands together. "I'm sorry you had to come out here so late Jane, I just called without thinking really…"

"Maura, it's fine. I've always been just a phone call away, you know that." Jane looked down at her lap again, pangs of regret and remorse clenching the muscles around her heart, squeezing until she felt she couldn't breathe. Minutes went by in silence before Jane finally broke.

"Maura, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I know an 'I'm sorry I shot your father' apology doesn't cut it, but please, just let me explain. I have so many regrets of those days leading up to the shooting in the warehouse Maura, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of how I could have done things differently. If I had been at the hospital with you instead of in bed with Gabe, if I hadn't confided in him, if I hadn't taken that shot, things could be so different. When you screamed at me…god Maur, that was the first moment that I started hating myself. It was my cop instincts that made me pull the trigger. I am trained to protect and eliminate threats. What I saw was a man firing a gun, and my best friend and partner in the building. The second I pulled the trigger, I had second thoughts. I started wondering if I did the right thing, if I could have handled it better, then maybe your father would still be alive." Jane looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, and Maura's heart broke at the sight of the broken detective.

"Jane-"

"No, Maura let me finish. You had every right to be angry at me. I just…after you left…I kinda…I've missed you Maura." Jane looked down at her lap once more, tears now falling freely from her dark eyes, and she felt a dip in the couch, and Maura's hands came into her sight as they clasped around hers.

"Jane. Look at me."

Jane shook her head, until Maura's hand came up to cup her face, and raised it to meet her eyes.

"Jane. Open your eyes." The dark eyes fluttered open, the dark brown pools wet with tears. "I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago."

A tear trickled from the corner of the brunette's eye, and Maura's soft thumb brushed it away. Jane closed her eyes, leaning into Maura's touch. The medical examiner felt her insides do flip flops as she brushed away the rest of Jane's tears. Jane opened her eyes, dark eyes searching hazel, as her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "Y-you what?"

Maura dropped her hands and sighed, pulling away from Jane, her thoughts a jumbled mess. _Jane deserves to be told the truth. You cannot lie to her Maura, you've never been able to lie. And I would definitely prefer not to start hyperventilating tonight. _

"I forgave you about as soon as it happened Jane. I knew inside that you were doing your job, and that was it. There was just a lot I was dealing with emotionally; I needed some time." Maura winced at how transparent her words were, but Jane didn't seem to notice.

Jane's face tightened as her hands moved to grip her knees. "Then take some time off of work like a normal person Maura, instead of quitting your job with no explanation! All this time, I thought you hated me for shooting your father, but now I find out that it was just to deal with some emotions you couldn't handle? I needed you Maura, and I thought you needed me, but you just walked away as if I was nothing to you! You didn't even say goodbye!" Jane's voice had raised in an accusatory tone, but her voice cracked over the last sentence, and Maura visibly flinched as the words cut into her, feeling her chest tighten. "And then I found out I was pregnant, and I didn't even have my best friend to tell about it."

Maura closed her eyes and prepared herself. "I know, Jane. I know it was bad timing, but I had to go."

Jane's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "You, you knew?" she exclaimed incredulously, getting to her feet, not caring that tears were flowing from Maura's eyes. "You fucking knew, and you left anyway!" She strode quickly to the door, and Maura followed her, panic beginning to set in.

"You don't understand, Jane, please." Maura was sobbing now, and Jane shook her head.

"You're right, I don't understand. I don't understand how we were ever friends, because I don't know how I could be friends with someone like you." Jane spat venomously at the woman who was on the verge of hysteria, her breath coming in erratic gasps. "You know what Maura, I can't even look at you right now. I'm sorry, this was a mistake."

"No, Jane don't go, please don't go!" Maura was begging with her, her hand reaching out to try and get a grasp on her sweatshirt sleeve, but Jane shrugged her off.

"Why Maura? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't go," Jane said coldly.

"Because I love you!" Maura cried in desperation. She couldn't afford to lose Jane again.

Jane let out a cold laugh. "Yeah Maura, you sure acted like it."

"When Barry told me you were pregnant, I knew I had to leave. You and Agent Dean had a chance to make a life with each other and your baby, and I couldn't get in the way of that."

"That's a bullshit excuse Maura, and you know it! How could you do this? How could you do this to me?" Jane was yelling now, and she could feel her pulse skyrocket higher than the volume of her voice, her blood boiling at the pangs of betrayal that threatened to overcome her body. Her breathing quickened and became shallow, and she felt as if someone was smothering her.

"I was just trying to do what was best, Jane!" Maura pleaded desperately, her face in her hands, feeling the hot tears soaking her slim fingers.

"The best for who, Maura?"

"The best for you and your baby!"

"STOP SAYING THAT; THERE IS NO BABY!" Jane shrieked hoarsely, hysteria setting in as her breathing turned quickly into short pants, and her chest constricted. Maura's face turned immediately from confusion to etched concern as she reached out swiftly to catch Jane as she crumbled in her arms. Maura eased them down to the floor as gently as possible, whispering soothing words as her friend finally released the pain she had been holding onto in her arms.

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><p>Jane sat weakly in the far corner of the couch, her eyes bloodshot from too many tears, and she sipped slowly from the glass of water Maura had brought her. Her face still shone with the tears still falling from her eyes; she didn't think her body was capable of producing so many tears. She shuddered briefly and Maura put her hand on her thigh, finding tense muscles that relaxed slowly under her touch. Looking into Jane's eyes from where she was kneeling on the ground in front of her, she saw such unmasked pain and vulnerability that she almost recoiled; she had never seen this from Jane before.<p>

"I was in my 11th week, and I was working a really tough case. I had been in for an ultrasound at 8 weeks, and the doctor said the baby's heart rate was a little low, but he said that was normal in the early stages of pregnancy. He advised me to try to relax and cut back on my hours at the precinct, so I started coming home earlier, but I felt like a caged animal. I started taking work home with me and would spend time on the phone with Frost pouring over details and bouncing ideas off of each other. I convinced myself this was only temporary, until the possibility of a miscarriage was less likely. Then I started getting really painful cramps." Jane's eyes became unfocused, and her tone became flat and distant. Maura felt the tears on her own face, as she placed her hands over Jane's once more, stilling the nervous habit of the detective, and instead, she stroked her thumbs over the slightly puckered tissue she found there, only a visible reminder of some of the pain Jane had experienced in her life. Maura knew from a medical standpoint the physical symptoms and processes the body went through physically during a miscarriage, and her thumbs continued their ministrations on Jane's hands, providing a lifeline to brunette. "It took an entire week and a half for the bleeding to stop."

"Oh, Jane."

Jane began to openly sob, unable to stop the tears once again. "It was just like that. That was all it took, and my baby was gone. Just like that. And…my best friend was gone. My whole world had ripped apart." Jane put her head in her hands, and Maura rose from her knees, tucking one knee up on the couch next to Jane, and the dark haired woman slumped forward, and Maura wrapped her arms tightly around the woman, placing one hand behind her head and the other around her back, cradling Jane to her chest as the woman cried.

"I'm here sweetie, shhh. You haven't lost me. I'm here, and I will never leave you again. I promise." Maura placed a kiss atop the unruly curls that tickled her face, feeling Jane's tears hit her chest, and she closed her eyes, feeling hot tears stream down her own face, and she rocked the broken woman in her arms. "That's it, just let it out. I've got you."

They stayed like that, limbs and bodies entangled with each other for what seemed like forever. Maura's eyes were closed, her embrace on Jane never slacking, until she felt the taller woman's body begin to relax and her grip on her silk pajama top loosened. Maura hung on, knowing Jane needed this, needed her, to be there for her. _I would do anything to take her pain away. _Soon, Jane's breathing evened, her head became a dead weight on Maura's chest, and she knew Jane had fallen asleep. _I wonder how long it's been since she's slept. _Maura continued to hold her, waiting until she was certain the detective was sound asleep, and she stretched her legs out, recognizing the familiar tingling feeling of paresthesia, but she didn't care. The honey blonde eased her body down the couch, and Jane subconsciously settled easily between her legs, letting out a soft whimper in her sleep. Her head was tucked securely in the crook of Maura's neck, and Maura sleepily began to trace circular patterns on Jane's strong, muscled back, causing the sleeping woman to relax, and as her body went limp atop Maura's and the medical examiner's eyes began to close in exhaustion, she couldn't help but think that this was how it should be.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out, life keeps getting in the way! Thank you for all the reviews and love; it gives me that extra incentive to get updates out for you all :) All rights to TNT, Tess, JTam, etc. I own nothing. Enjoy!**

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><p>Maura woke first, the light slipping through the gap in the middle of the curtains making her squint and blink. A dull ache was spreading through the back of her neck from the precarious position she slept in, and as she looked down at Jane's still sleeping form, she wouldn't take anything back. This was odd for the detective, usually she was the first one up. She wondered how long it had been since Jane had slept. Maura's left arm was still wrapped around Jane's back, and the Jane's dark curls were spread wildly around, shielding her face from the sun's glare. Jane had gone to sleep with her arms tucked up and in close to her body, but in her sleep, her left arm had flung itself out across Maura, dangling off the edge of the couch and brushing against Maura's with the rise and fall of her chest. The honey blonde smiled to herself, <em>this is just how I imagined it would be. <em>Maura scooted down even further to ease the pain in her neck, and she turned her head into the back of the couch, falling back asleep with a smile on her face.

A loud buzzing noise jolted the detective from her sleep. She jerked upwards, immediately regretting her decision as she became lightheaded and her vision blackened, fuzzing around the edges, but she could see Maura rousing sleepily from underneath her. Jane turned, her head swimming, as she groped around blindly on the end table for her phone. Securing the device in her hand, she widened her eyes in an attempt to get her vision back, and she opened the text message.

_Just checking in to make sure you're alright. I figured you probably stayed at Maura's last night, but I just wanted to make sure. I've got to go into work, we've got a case that will probably take the rest of the weekend. I'll see you later. Gabe._

"Is it Agent Dean?" Maura asked inquisitively, stretching languidly from her sitting position.

"Yeah, shit, I should have called him last night. I guess I kinda passed out, huh?" Jane mumbled apologetically, her mind shifting back to the close sleeping position she had woken in, and surprisingly didn't mind. Her fingers flew quickly over the screen of the phone, sending him a reply, reassuring him she was fine.

"Your body needed it's rest. Jane, how long has it been since you've slept? Hallucinations begin by day-"

"Four, I know, then slurred speech, short attention span, and death. I remember," Jane finished, cracking a smile at Maura, who's face lit up at the memory and the fact that Jane was paying attention to her. "I dunno Maur…I sleep, just not good sleep, ya know? Last night was good though." She stood, cracking her back as she got up, rolling her shoulders back, popping the stiff joints into place. Jane ambled into the kitchen, finding herself at ease with her familiar habit of perusing the shelves. "Any normal people food in here?"

Maura chuckled, running a hand through her slightly mussed hair, fluffing it as she leaned up against the island, watching Jane poke her head in the cupboards, before coming out with a box of whole grain cereal.

"Really?"

"What? Studies show that with an increase of whole-grain and fiber foods in the diet, weight gain decreases because it has a lower glycemic index than that of a typical bowl of frosted corn flakes." Maura rambled, and Jane passed by her with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, I'd rather have my frosted flakes with a high glydemic intake than feel like I'm eating a bowl of cardboard."

"Index, Jane." Maura attempted to stifle a laugh at the detective's warped repetition of her googlemouth. "Okay, I'm going to go take a shower, then how about we go out for breakfast? I know this really great place where you can eat outside on the patio; it's a beautiful day out today, Jane. We can stop by your apartment for you to get some more suitable clothes."

"What? These are my going out clothes! " Jane called after her, as Maura laughed from the other side of the master bedroom door, the sound bouncing off the walls, filling the house with a happy aura. "And only if I get my frosted flakes!" Maura laughed again as she poked her head out from around the bedroom door, shooting Jane a pointed look, her eyes sparkling and her lips pressed together in a smirk. She disappeared around the door again, and soon Jane heard the shower turn on and she eased down into the couch, flnding SportsCenter on Maura's fancy TV.

_Yes, _Jane thought to herself, _I've missed this._

* * *

><p>Two hours later the two women were sitting at a table for two outside the modern downtown restaurant, granola and orange juice in front of Maura, and a bowl of Frosted Flakes for Jane. Maura shook her head with a smile as Jane began to use her spoon as a shovel, scooping up mountainous amounts of the cereal in each bite.<p>

"How are Barry and Vince doing?" Maura asked inquisitively, her fork expertly picking up a dainty amount of granola, her eyes flicking back up to Jane, who swallowed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, catching a trail of milk that had snuck out and dribbled to the corner of her lips. She smiled guiltily, embarrassed that Maura had caught her etiquette blunder.

"They're good; Barry's got himself a girlfriend now, remember the FBI chick?" Jane shoveled in another bite, taking more care this time to not be as messy with her cereal.

"Agent Farrell?"

Jane finished the last bite of her Frosted Flakes, putting her makeshift shovel back in the bowl and scooted it away from her, leaning back in the padded wicker chair, legs splayed in true Jane Rizzoli style. "Yep, that's the one. He doesn't act like he's got a stick up the ass now that he's getting laid regularly." She chuckled, and even Maura cracked a smile at the typical blunt remark that she had come to appreciate in her friend over the years.

"That's good for him; everyone deserves happiness, in whatever form that may take." Maura sipped from her orange juice, her eyes peering at Jane over the top of her glass. Jane stared almost blankly into her eyes, before blinking and life reappeared into her deep brown eyes.

Jane smiled and took Maura' s hand into her own. "I'm glad you're back, Maur." The ME's hand trembled, and subtly she took a deep breath and focused her mind on calming down, hoping Jane didn't notice. Before she had a chance to respond, Jane jerked her hand away.

"Oh for Christ's sake!" Jane reached her hand down to her side, where her phone was holstered securely. "Yeah Ma? No I told you, I have the weekend off. No, Gabe is working. I'm with Maura." She rolled her eyes at Maura, who put up a hand to stifle her laughter at Angela Rizzoli's infamous nosiness. "Yeah Ma, I'll be there, and if Gabe can get away from work, he'll be there. Maura?"

Maura perked up, hearing her name, as she had slipped into her own musings.

"Yeah, sure. I'll tell her. Ok, gotta go Ma. Love you too." Jane ended the call, shaking her dark tresses as she clipped her phone back to her side.

Maura shifted her legs and crossed her left leg over her right, her foot sticking out slightly from the side of the table, and she folded her hands on her lap. "Oh Jane, you know she just loves you."

"Yeah, well, apparently she loves you too, cause she invited you to dinner tomorrow night. Of course it's at my place…" Jane trailed off, her eyes dropping to her lap, unsure of how Maura would respond. Of course they had just run into each other for the first time in over a year, and even after last night, she didn't want to push the ME.

To Jane's surprise, Maura's face split into a smile, her perfect teeth flashing at Jane. "That would be lovely. It will be nice to see your mother again."

"And what am I, chopped liver?" Jane teased her friend, who cocked her head to the side.

"Well of course not Jane, that's silly; you're not sliced meat." Maura's eyebrows scrunched slightly, then relaxed back into place as she caught the detective's body beginning to shake with the tremors of laughter. "That was an expression, wasn't it?"

Jane stood and took her fist away from her mouth that had been unsuccessfully trying to cover her amusement. She reached her hand out and grabbed Maura's wrist. "Yes, Miss Literal. I have the day off. Let's go do something; we've got a whole year to make up for."

Maura pulled her designer sunglasses down over her eyes and followed her friend out of the restaurant and her heels clicked furiously on the pavement, trying to keep up with the long strides of the taller woman. The two women got into Maura's car, blissfully unaware of the dark vehicle parked on the opposite side of the street they had neglected to see during the entirety of their breakfast out.

* * *

><p>"Okay, never did I think you could have so much fun mini golfing! It's mini golfing for shit's sake." Jane exclaimed as they pulled up to her apartment, and the ME put the car into park.<p>

Maura stopped her peals of laughter to briefly chastise her friend. "Language, Jane. But yes, it was all fun and games until my heel decided to sink into the green." She pouted, looking down at the heels of her Jimmy Choos, and when her eyes met Jane's, she saw those bright brown eyes sparkling with restrained laughter, and she began laughing again herself.

"I thought you were going to go down in the middle of the course!" Jane managed to get out in between bursts of laughter, and she gasped for air, and then remembered the sight of Maura's heel getting caught in the green and how her eyes went wide in fear struck panic as her body had swayed with the loss of balance, before Jane had come up behind her, catching her by the arms.

"I'm glad you were there to catch me, otherwise I may have found myself in a situation that a woman in a skirt should never have to find herself in." Maura winked at Jane, who shot her a grin and waggled her eyebrows.

"As much as I would have loved to have seen that, I don't think that would have been good for those attractive little adolescent boys who were checking you out. You would have had four more autopsies on your hands. I can see it now, 'cause of death, coronary due to extreme blood rush to the testicles.' A flattering compliment, causing four deaths by a simple peek up the skirt." Jane waggled her eyebrows at Maura, who shook her head at Jane.

"That is physically impossible Jane, but thank you for the compliment." Maura didn't let on, but inside she was beaming. She always took great care to keep up her appearance, being an Isles taught her that, but being an Isles also taught her humility and class, never acting as if she was aware of her attractiveness.

Jane muttered something under her breath, and the lull in the conversation became deafening as they both looked up to her apartment window, light streaking out from the room.

"I guess Gabe came home early." Jane felt a twinge and a look flashed over her face, was that disappointment? Maura's heart sank, wanting to grab onto her friend's hand and not let go. _It's been so long, and yet, these feelings haven't changed. I just had gotten better at pretending they didn't exist. _

"Well…I should probably go." Jane's hand went to the door handle, while Maura's hand shot out and held her wrist. Jane turned back to her friend, and for a split second, she saw Maura's emotions laid out like she had never seen them. Vulnerability, desperation, sadness, and one other she couldn't quite put her finger on. As soon as she had seen them, they vanished, replaced with the expression she was used to seeing on Maura.

"I just…thank you Jane, I had a wonderful day." Maura lips turned upwards into a smile, her head angling softly to the side like it always did when Maura smiled. Jane returned her smile, and felt Maura's hand drop to the console in between the seats, and Jane opened the door and turned around.

"By the way, I'll always be here to catch you, Maur." Jane shut the door, leaving Maura with trembling hands and a pounding heart as she struggled to put the car into drive. Jane waved and made her way up the steps, looking up to the apartment window again and sighing as she pushed open the door to her building.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am so sorry for the delay with this chapter. I had a hard time writing this bit, especially the last, as I tried very hard to keep the characters in character as much as possible. This chapter was a big one, and I would really appreciate the feedback on this one. I read through to catch my errors, but I wanted to get it up quickly for you, so if there are mistakes, I apologize. Also, please note the rating change. I do not own any characters, they belong to TNT, Tess, JTam, etc. Enjoy, and PLEASE review! xx**

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><p>The medical examiner sat with her legs pulled up underneath her on the couch in her living room, a glass of deep red wine dangling precariously from her fingertips. Her eyes stared, unfocused, as they began to blur. Maura didn't notice, her mind was elsewhere.<p>

_"I'll always be here to catch you, Maur." What did Jane mean? Could that…is it possible? No. _Maura shook her head of blonde curls, to no one in particular. _Do not let your emotions dictate your ability to analyze a situation, Maura. Jane has just missed your friendship, that is all. And I have missed hers, but somehow it doesn't seem like it's enough. Maybe Jane could grow to love me as I love her? _Shaking her head again, Maura took a sip of her wine, and as the bittersweet liquid stained her lips, she ran her tongue over them, savoring every last drop. _I wonder what Jane's lips taste like. No, no, she is back at her apartment with Dean. Together. Dean knows what her lips taste like. _She felt a solitary tear squeeze out the corner of her eye before it made its way down her cheek. Maura couldn't hold back the tears anymore as more followed the first, and mages of Dean and Jane kissing and making love swam behind her eyes, his rough hands sloppily palming her. The glass of wine slipped out of Maura's grasp as she unthinkingly brought her hands to her face.

"Dammit!" Maura cursed, standing up quickly in her rush to clean up the dark colored liquid that was slowly spreading throughout the cushion of the couch. _A reddish brown stain. That is definitely not blood. _She smiled through her tears as she remembered her and Jane's deal for her to determine whether or not a reddish brown stain was in fact blood. Selecting the hydrogen peroxide from underneath the bathroom sink, she poured some on a sponge and walked back over to the couch and began to blot at the stain.

"No Jane, this is definitely not blood."

* * *

><p>Jane went up to her apartment door and turned the handle, not bothering to fish for her keys as she knew Gabe didn't lock the door after he returned. She shut the door, taking extra care to lock it behind her. Jane kicked her shoes off near the closed door, and she ran a hand through her hair as she shuffled to the kitchen.<p>

"Gabe?" she called out, the hair on the back of her neck prickling just slightly as there was no reply. The light in their bedroom was on, and she craned her neck to catch a glimpse inside. "Gabe?" Jane asked this quieter this time, while carefully and silently walking sideways, one leg crossing behind the other as she reached the drawer where she kept her firearm. Sliding the drawer open, taking care not to make any noise, she located her gun and pulled it down to her side. Grasping it tightly in both hands, she sidled up to the bedroom door. Quickly she spun into the room, aiming her into all corners of the room. The light underneath the door of the master bathroom door was shadowed, as if someone had stepped near the door, and she scooted into the corner near the door. Suddenly, the door flung open, and Gabriel Dean jumped back a few feet as he took in the sight of Jane poised in the corner, a Glock pointed at his head.

"Jesus Christ, Jane! What the hell is going on?" The man adjusted the towel wrapped around his waist, as Jane relaxed and put her gun down at her side.

"I'm sorry…I didn't know you were home. I didn't see any of your stuff around, and you didn't answer."

Gabriel ran a hand through his hair and sighed as his irritability faded. "It's okay Janie, I'm the one who should be sorry. I went straight to the shower after I got off the case. We went through so many back alleyways today, I just felt like a used Swiffer duster." He laughed awkwardly, sensing his girlfriend's tension, before sitting on the bed in silence, pulling on his glasses.

"Don't call me Janie." Jane mumbled, almost inaudibly, glancing up from the floor to him before exiting the room. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he raised his legs up onto the large bed, picking up the newspaper on the nightstand. Padding back through the kitchen, Jane set her gun down in the drawer, her heart still racing from the encounter. Grabbing her cell phone from the counter, she located the name she wanted and sent off a text.

* * *

><p><em>I missed you. <em>

Maura stood in her bathroom, washing her face and going through the long steps of her nighttime beauty regimen. A buzzing noise sounded from her bed, and she finished putting on the last dabs of moisturizer before making her way over to her bed. Sitting down with one leg underneath her on the bed, she picked up her phone.

_I missed you._

Maura sighed, with the happiness of getting Jane's text came a dull twinge of ache. She smiled sadly and typed out a reply.

_I know, Jane. I've missed you as well, more than you can imagine._

Sliding back against the pillows she had propped at the headboard, she tucked her bare legs under the covers and slowly settled herself down into the soft mattress. Reaching over to turn off the lamp, Maura closed her eyes, clutching her phone to her, as if it was her lifeline to Jane.

Seconds later, her phone vibrated, the screen lighting up, and Maura squinted at it.

_If it's how much I have, I bet it's a lot . Don't forget, dinner at my apartment tomorrow at 6pm. Be there, or I'll have to come arrest you. _There was a wink after that sentence, and Maura shuddered as the image of Jane pushing her flush up against the wall flashed through her mind. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as the image brought forth waves of fantasy. Maura felt the dull ache between her legs and slowly ground herself against the mattress, trying to ease the growing heat. All thoughts of a reply slipped from her mind as she rolled further onto her stomach, pushing her phone to the side and slid a hand between her stomach and the mattress. It had been a long time since she had any sort of physical release. Moving her hand down further, she closed her eyes as she brought her fingers to the nerve endings in her sensitive folds that were quickly becoming wet.

_"Hands behind your back." The detective's gruff voice barked out as she snapped the medical examiner's delicate wrists into the cold metal restraints she kept attached to her. Maura whimpered quietly as the sharp sting of teeth rippled through her neck and throughout her body. "That's it Maura, be a good girl. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you…" As Jane read Maura her rights, she dragged her off to the honey blonde's bedroom, one hand holding her fastened wrists and one hand wound tightly around her, roughly grasping at her breasts through Maura's blouse. _

Maura slowly began thrusting her hips forward, not allowing her hand to move, wanting to make the waves of pleasure last. Her abdomen tightened in random spasms, and she jerked her hips each time.

_"Get on the bed." Maura complied, shaking legs managing to clamber up onto the king size bed, and before she could draw herself to a sitting position, Jane was behind her, whispering in her ears. "On your knees." Maura trembled at the rough tone in the brunette's voice, and managed to draw herself up on quivering knees, her cuffed wrists preventing her from balancing on her forearms, so she turned her face into the pillows. Jane positioned herself behind the smaller woman, and Maura felt her hands release from the cuffs. _

_"If you're a good girl Maura, you can keep these out." Jane drew herself up flush to the backside of the medical examiner, and pressed her fully clothed body against the length of Maura. Strong arms wrapped around her before roughly ripping open the top buttons on her blouse. Calloused hands slipped inside the ruined top, fingers slipping between the cups of her bra and finding the pointed tips there. Jane palmed them roughly, feeling Maura's nipples hardening under her touch, and she slowly began thrusting her hips forward into Maura's ass. _

_"Uh…oh, Jane." Maura's mouth parted, her breath coming in gasps as she pressed herself backwards to meet Jane's thrusts. She felt as if a fire was spreading from her insides out, and she whimpered as Jane broke the contact between them. She felt her skirt being yanked up to her hips, and she heard Jane's intake of breath. _

_"Oh Dr. Isles…no panties? You have been a bad girl. It's a good thing I arrested you when I did. Now…let's see about your sentencing…" Jane trailed her fingers up, following the trail of fluid that had dripped a track down the inside of Maura's thigh, until they brushed across her naked sex, and Maura was glad she had foregone her panties that day. _

_"Jane…mmm….please." Maura's voice was pleading, and she could feel her arousal seeping down her thighs, and Jane chuckled. _

_The dark haired woman brought her hand lazily up, tracing patterns on Maura's bare backside before leaning forward, pressing up against the blonde again, trapping her hand between the two. "Maura, darling, do you really want me to fuck you with your skirt pushed up to your waist like a slutty schoolgirl?"_

_"Yes…oh god yes Jane." Maura was almost in tears, the throbbing of her core pulsing through her body, and between the two women, Jane brought her hand between Maura's legs, spreading them further apart. Her fingers danced up to the woman's soaked center, pushing slightly and sliding through her folds, provoking a desperate whiney moan from the woman beneath her._

_"Maura Isles, I hereby sentence you to 25 to life, to be served in bed at my mercy." With those words Jane plunged two fingers inside Maura, who cried out and thrashed forward so violently, Jane almost lost her grip on her hip. _

Maura's fingers moved frantically over her throbbing clit, thrusting her hips desperately against her hand. The heat was reaching up her neck, and she felt that slow burn rising between her thighs. She bucked violently as her orgasm overtook her, crying out Jane's name softly into her pillow, as her body continued to writhe and jerk against the bed, and she felt her leg twitch against the now damp sheets, a mixture of her own sweat and fluids. Maura settled herself into her pillow, trying to calm her erratic breathing, and her body slipped unobjectedly into subconscious.

* * *

><p>"Ma, we're back!" Jane called out loudly, kicking her shoes off, dropping the grocery bag off on the kitchen counter.<p>

Angela Rizzoli turned from where she was slicing small pillows of gnocchi by the stove. "Do you have to yell everywhere you go?"

Jane rolled her eyes and Gabriel gave Angela a wink and a kiss on the cheek. "Yes, she does."

"Well, a quieter voice would work just the same."

Gabriel smiled. "Yes, I know. But she insists on the neighbors knowing she's here as well." He began pulling out the groceries from the bag, passing the Ricotta cheese over to Angela. She took it from him and smiled, before quieting the timer on the microwave oven and pulling out what looked to be the third batch of gnocchi from the oven.

"Hello? Still here! And Jesus, Ma, whose army are you feeding?" Jane began picking up the sliced gnocchi from the cutting board and moved them to a bowl and began tossing the sauce Angela had made with the gnocchi.

"Must you take the Lord's name in vain?" Angela sighed and wiped at her face with her apron. "Frankie is going to be late but he promised he'd be here, and Maura too. And it's not like you won't scarf down the leftovers."

Jane's eyes flicked to the time on the oven. _6:45. _"Maura is never late. Have you heard from her?" Jane's voice hitched up a notch, concern settling in between her eyebrows. She pulled her phone from the pocket of her jeans and checked the screen. No missed calls or texts. "Damn."

Angela shook her head, her eyes darting between Jane and Gabriel. He had lifted his eyes up from the groceries at the mention of Maura's name, but dropped again just as quickly, but Angela read him like a book.

"I'm going to go outside and call her." Jane slipped her shoes back on and exited her apartment, the door shutting behind her with a resounding slam. Gabriel sighed and took the beer Angela offered him, before settling in front of the TV.

_Oh yes, _Angela thought, _this is going to be an interesting night._

* * *

><p>The truth was, Maura had left her house an hour ago. It only took her fifteen minutes if she hurried to Jane's, but she was in no hurry. In fact, she didn't even know that she wanted to go. She wanted nothing to do with Agent Dean, and especially nothing to do with them as a couple. It was a harsh reminder that he had what she didn't, and Maura wasn't accustomed to that. Yes, Maura Isles had money, but she had never had to resort to using that money to get what she wanted. She knew her way with men and how to handle them in order to get her way, and it never failed her. Until now. <em>Until someone has my Jane. My Jane? She's not yours, Maura. She's his. She's Dean's. <em>She passed Jane's apartment building again, but this time she passed, the dark haired woman was standing on the steps, her phone clutched to her ear. Seeing Maura's car, she waved with her free hand, simultaneously hanging up her phone.

Maura sighed. She was caught. And she was feeling incredibly rude to have been late, no doubt making everyone else wait. "It looks like you're stuck with this one Maura." She pulled alongside the curb, delicately placing a heeled foot on the street and stood. Before she could turn around, strong arms wrapped around her and a weight knocked her slightly off balance.

"For Christ's sake Maura, I've been worried sick! Where's your phone? Did you not hear it? Is everything okay?" Jane pulled back, letting Maura breathe. The smaller woman let out a breath, but not because of the detective's crushing grip.

"Oh Jane, I'm so sorry. My phone must have been on vibrate in my purse." Maura stuck a hand inside her Birkin purse, finally locating her cell phone. She pulled it out, and saw that she had 12 missed calls from Jane. Jane gave her a pointed look, and Maura smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry I had you worried Jane. It just took me a little longer to get ready tonight." It wasn't really a lie, it had taken her longer. She wanted to look perfect.

Jane clasped her hands and held her at arm's length. "Maura, you look beautiful." The medical examiner's face lit up as Jane's eyes scanned her body. Maura felt beautiful. She had chosen a bright turquoise dress that hugged all her curves in all the right spots. The front of the dress was pleated and fabric was gathered into rose buds that ran down the length of the dress and stopped at a split that started right above her knees and ended mid thigh. She had chosen an off white fitted blazer over top that and paired it with nude pumps. Maura knew she looked good, but Jane's approval sent her over the moon.

Jane smiled at her and tugged slightly on her hand as she led her up the stairs. "Ma's going to freak out if her gnocchi gets cold."

* * *

><p>The dinner wasn't as bad as Maura had thought it would be. Jane had seated herself across from Maura, next to Dean, but Maura had barely noticed. She kept drowning in the warm brown eyes that would sparkle at her every time she looked up. Having Frankie there kept the mood light, as he and Jane bantered over the latest Red Sox game. Maura laughed along with them, even though she still didn't quite grasp all of the plays they were describing. She cast a quick glance to Agent Dean, who was adding his input, but his brow would wrinkle randomly, as if thinking. Maura raised an eyebrow before she even realized, and quickly recovered, stealing glances at the rest of the table. No one had seemed to notice. She eased back in her chair, resting her hands on her stomach, which seemed to be slightly more constricted by her dress than when she had started eating.<p>

"Angela, that was delicious. You really outdid yourself." Maura praised, earning a beaming smile from Jane's mother.

"Yeah Ma, it was really good!" Jane piped in, causing Angela to squint at her.

"Don't think you're off the hook for earlier, Janie." Jane glowered at the nickname, and Angela smiled back at Maura, passing her the bowl of gnocchi. "Think you have room for seconds?"

Maura smiled politely, rubbing her stomach. "I don't think this dress has room for anything more, but thank you Mrs. Rizzoli."

Jane's eyes flicked back to Maura, roaming over where the dress snugly held Maura. At Angela's remark, Gabriel's eyes glanced up as well, but to Jane. He followed her gaze before politely excusing himself from the table. Jane broke her gaze, after realizing she had been caught staring, and followed Gabriel's form to the bathroom. Maura was an expert at determining facial expressions, and none of the expressions in the room were very subtle, except for Frankie, who was still shoveling gnocchi into his mouth before picking up his napkin to wipe his chin.

"It's Angela, dear."

Jane cleared her place at the table before starting down the hallway. "I'm going to check on Gabe."

The atmosphere in the apartment immediately changed. Frankie's head snapped up, locking eyes with Maura, whose body posture had stiffened. She corrected herself, standing up to clear the table while Angela observed from her spot in front of the sink working on the dishes. She rolled her eyes as she turned back around. _Sometimes these people can be so blind._

* * *

><p>"Gabe?" Jane called out, seeing the door to the bathroom shut. She knocked on the door after hesitating, not wanting to upset the heavy tension that had settled over their relationship.<p>

"It's open."

Jane pushed the door open. Gabriel was standing in front of the mirror, both hands on either side of the sink. "Oh, shit, are you sick?" He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he turned to face her.

"No, Jane, but I'm not blind. And neither is any of those other people out there." He walked over to their bed and sat down, putting his head in his hands in defeat.

Jane turned on him, raising her voice. "Really? You're going to do this now? You want to talk about our relationship NOW?"

"When else are we going to talk about it, Jane? You don't talk to me anymore, ever since…"

"NO! You do NOT get to bring that up here! I am not doing this during family dinner."

Dean's face contorted in anger. "Well when do I get to bring it up? We have to talk about this if we're going to fix us."

Jane shook her head and crossed her arms heading to the door. "I'm not doing this. I don't want to talk about this."

"Jane, we have to, we have to fix this, fix us!"

Jane sighed, running her hands through her hair. She walked over to Gabriel, taking his hands in her own. Her eyes searched his face, until his eyes looked up to meet hers. "We're too broken. I'm too broken. I don't think we can fix this."

* * *

><p>Maura was gathering her purse, casting glances towards the closed bedroom door. She could hear voices, but she knew it was rude to eavesdrop. "Really Angela, I had a wonderful time, thank you so much."<p>

Angela smiled sadly. "It was so lovely to have you here Maura, we've missed you." She gave the younger woman a warm embrace, and Maura relaxed into the mothering gesture. "Now are you sure you can't stay? Janie would want to say goodbye before you go." The elder Rizzoli glanced back at the door, and Maura hesitated briefly.

* * *

><p>"You don't think we can fix this or you don't want to?" The question stung as Gabriel's tone came across harsher than he had intended. Jane winced and gave him a questioning look. "Look Jane," he said, softening his tone and placing both hands on Jane's shoulders. "I know this wasn't part of the plan, hell, none of this was part of the plan actually," he admitted. "I know you never thought she would love you back, and then the baby…" he trailed off as Jane's eyes stared distantly over his shoulder, focusing on an imaginary spot on her wall. He cleared his throat and moved into her gaze, bringing her back to him. "And then we stopped talking. I knew it was just a matter of time. Things have a way of working out if they're supposed to. She's back now, Jane. You don't have to pretend that it's me you want to be with anymore."<p>

Jane's mind was racing but she couldn't find any words. Instead she nodded mutely, folding into the embrace he offered, but this time she felt relief.

"She loves you, Jane. You might have never thought she would, but I'm not blind. It's obvious how much she cares for you, more than a friend cares. And you need her, more than you ever needed me. It's time, Jane. It's time for everyone to stop pretending,"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I own nothing. **

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><p>"I'm so sorry Gabe, everything we went through…I'm just sorry. I guess it's just-"<p>

"Not enough." Dean interrupted Jane, gently pushing on her shoulders before cupping the strong jawline of the brunette who stood in front of him. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, as Jane's eyes searched his. "I know Jane…it just wasn't enough. It's okay." The corner of Jane's mouth twitched up into an apologetic half smile, her dark eyes sorrow-filled as she was pulled into Gabriel's arms once again.

Jane's body exhaled a deep sigh, and she turned her head against his chest. "I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you about it. It just…it made it all so real."

Dean pulled back, giving her a sympathetic smile. "I know. It was easier for us to ignore it. But it was never really me that you could open up to." Upon seeing Jane's eyes dart around the room, unfocused and searching, he cleared his throat and stepped back, shoving his hands down in the pockets of his jeans. "Now, I'm going to go. I think there's some things you and Maura need to sort out. I'll have my stuff out of here by next weekend." Jane opened her mouth to object, but Gabriel held up his hand. "It would be better for both of us if I left sooner than later. We always worked better together as friends anyway." He laughed half-heartedly, before leaning forward to place a kiss on Jane's cheek. Gabriel Dean moved across the room, putting a hand on the door and turned back to Jane. She looked up at him guiltily, realizing how much she had contributed to the neglect in their relationship.

"Jane, don't let her get away this time. She came back for a reason. Don't give up on her. You deserve to be happy." Smiling at her once again, Gabriel cast a last look at her before exiting the room.

Jane was perched on the far side of her bed, her long legs spread with her elbows resting on her thighs, head in her hands. Her long, dark mane of curls spread around her bowed head like a curtain, shielding her from the light in the room. _It wasn't supposed to happen this way. _But he was right, nothing about their relationship was supposed to happen the way it did. Technically, their relationship shouldn't have even began in the first place. Jane sighed heavily, moving one hand through her hair, pushing the dark locks back from her forehead, before settling her head back down in her hands. He was right about everything. Gabriel had finally said all of the things that she had already known, but had refused to acknowledge. So much had happened in the past year that she never envisioned happening in her life. Shooting her best friend's father, getting pregnant from a one night stand, Maura walking out of her life, losing the baby…Jane stared blankly at the floor, unblinking and lost in her thoughts.

A knock at the door caused Jane to flinch. "Jane?" Maura's voice filtered under the crack in the bedroom door, causing a familiar surge to ripple through the detective's body. It was that same feeling she got whenever she heard the medical examiner's voice, almost as if her heart had butterflies. It was this sensation that caused her to begin to question her feelings for her best friend before she realized that she felt more than friendship for Maura. "Jane, can I come in?"

Jane nodded, her face hidden under her mass of hair, before realizing Maura couldn't see her. "Yeah," she answered quietly, not sure if Maura had actually heard her or not. A hand on her shoulder made her flinch again, and Maura's cool scent permeated her senses.

"Oh, Jane." Maura's slim hand squeezed Jane's shoulder softly, her fingers pressing into the tissue in a gentle massage. Jane's hand went to cover Maura's, the strong, work roughened hand touching smooth skin underneath her own. She slowly brought her head up, dark strands falling away from her face, and she pushed up with a great deal of effort.

"I've uh, Ma and Frankie…"

Maura stood next to her, her heels giving her added height next to the lanky woman, and she reached out, wrapping her fingers around Jane's wrist. "Angela and Frankie left just after…" Maura's voice trailed off, for once not trusting her words. She was treading in unknown waters, and she knew that she had to be, first and foremost, there for her friend. It didn't help that Jane Rizzoli was the first female that she had really developed a friendship with, and she didn't want her feelings for Jane to overshadow the need for her to be a friend to the brunette right now.

Jane nodded silently, settling back down onto the bed. Maura fidgeted with the bunched fabric of her dress, before becoming consciously aware of her nervous habit and dropped her hands to her sides.

"Is there anything I can do, Jane?" she asked helplessly, resisting the urge to gather the detective in her arms. Maura had always been able to read Jane, but when she had come to terms with her feelings for her, they began to cloud her ability to know what Jane was feeling. That's why she was surprised when Jane reached up to grasp onto her hand gently pulled Maura down to sit on the bed beside her.

Moments went by in silence, neither woman making any noise.

"Stay." Jane's voice had dropped so low that it cracked as she uttered her request. Brown eyes searched hazel, and Jane's head fell heavily down on Maura's shoulder. Maura leaned her own head down to rest atop Jane's before bringing her arm up to drape across Jane's upper back, and her hand came to rest on the pile of curls nestled under her chin.

"Of course I'll stay." The two women sat like that for a few more minutes before Jane jumped to her feet. Maura's head jerked up at the sudden loss of contact, and Jane began rummaging through her drawers.

Maura stood and walked over to the woman, who was frantically searching through the dresser drawers. "Jane, is something wrong?"

Jane pulled out a pair of yoga pants and a baggy teal t-shirt that Maura instantly recognized as belonging to her. "Well, I know how you feel about working in a wrinkled dress…"

Tears sprung to her eyes as Maura took the offered items from Jane. "Aw, Jane, you kept them?"

Jane smiled and shrugged casually, before pulling out a pair of shorts and a tank top for herself. "I always hoped you'd remember and come back." Her back was turned to the honey blonde, whose eyes widened and filled with longing.

"I couldn't be away from you anymore." The words slipped out before Maura realized she had said them out loud. Jane turned from where she was pulling on her tank top to search Maura's face. "I'm going to use the bathroom and then I'll be out shortly." Maura's quick strides carried her into the bathroom before shutting the door and leaning back against it. _Okay Maura, get yourself together. _She stepped out of her pumps and unzipped her dress, sliding the tight material down over her hips before draping it over the shower door. Pulling on the familiar clothes that now smelled wonderfully like Jane's laundry detergent, she moved to the sink and splashing some water on her face, she looked at her reflection before returning to Jane.

The brunette was flopped out on top of the bed, her eyes closed, but Maura could tell from her breathing pattern that she was awake. She eased onto the bed, lying beside her friend, shifting her body around to get comfortable. She settled in on her side, her head propped up on one of her hands. Maura looked at the woman next to her. _God, she's beautiful. _As her hazel eyes drifted over the other woman's body, she noticed the breaths Jane was taking were getting shallower and more frequent.

"Jane." Jane shook her head and refused to open her eyes, screwing them shut even tighter, and Maura softened her voice. "Jane." She reached out a hand to brush the back of her knuckles over Jane's arm, and that was all it took. Jane's eyes flashed open, and as Jane finally looked at Maura, really looked at her, Maura could read every single thought in Jane's mind through those warm brown eyes. There were tiny little rivers of red running through Jane's bloodshot eyes, and Maura put all second thoughts aside as she opened her arms to the other woman. She could feel Jane's body quaking silently, and as Jane settled into her arms, she ran her fingers through the tangled mop of brown curls once more.

"I know, Jane. I'm here. It's alright." Maura soothed the detective with a low, murmuring voice, and after a few minutes she felt Jane's breathing return to normal. Maura could feel the detective's warm breath on her chest, and Jane snuggled in closer to Maura, their thighs now touching as Jane wrapped her fingers in Maura's shirt. The ME felt Jane's breathing even out, and her eyelids began to get heavy as she settled down further into the pillow. Jane whimpered and let out a series of quiet mewls as she burrowed into Maura's side in her sleep. Maura's last thoughts before drifting off were that she would be content going to sleep like this for the rest of her life.

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><p>Jane woke first with her internal alarm clock, and she was quite aware of the warm body beneath her. She inhaled slightly before opening her eyes, both senses giving her the same conclusion. <em>Maura. <em>The ME's arm had dropped in her sleep, but her hand was still resting on Jane's back protectively, and Jane smiled. _I could wake up like this forever. _Moving carefully, so as not to disturb Maura, Jane rolled out from the bed, and walked toward the shower, casting one last wistful look at the beautiful woman in her bed, blonde hair strewn across the pillow and her mouth parted ever so slightly in sleep. Jane had not missed the quiet whimper and furrowing of her eyebrows when she had moved out from under her arm, and Maura had gathered the sheets closer to her in an attempt to regain contact with something. Turning the bathroom door handle and shutting it noiselessly, Jane stripped down quickly, moving Maura's dress to the counter and turning on the shower head, she wished that she didn't have to leave Maura so soon. She showered in under five minutes, years of practice of getting ready within minutes to make it to a crime scene leaving their mark, and pulled on a pair of dark gray slacks and a yellow v neck t shirt and padded out of the bathroom. The beautiful ME was still asleep, and Jane moved beside her, leaning down and pressed her lips softly to Maura's cheek, and the smaller woman's muscles twitched into a tiny smile, and Jane grinned before grabbing her service piece and shield from the bedside table.

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><p>Maura's cell phone woke her from her sleep, the quiet sound of birds chirping was the programmed ringer. She stretched, her limbs tangled in the sheets, and she encountered no resistance as she did so. Confused, Maura opened her eyes to find herself alone. Swinging her legs down from the bed, she noticed that the drawer of Jane's bedside table was open and her gun and badge missing. It was Monday morning, and Jane was gone. The realization hit her like a slap in the face, and she felt her heart sink. She knew Jane had to go to work and knew that she shouldn't take it personally, but she wished Jane would have at least woken her and said goodbye. Sighing dejectedly, Maura pulled back the covers and swung her legs to the floor and went to the bathroom and found her dress hanging over the shower bar. At least her dress wasn't wrinkled. Maura stepped daintily into the bright dress, deft fingers locating the side zipper and securing the small clasp under her arm. Maura scrutinized her appearance in the bathroom mirror, and a flash of color caught her eye. There was a Post-It stuck to the bottom corner of the mirror, and pulling it towards her, Maura saw that it was in Jane's typical scrawl.<p>

_Good morning,_

_Don't worry, you look perfect. _

_I didn't want to wake you, but there's coffee _

_in the pot, and cereal in the cupboard. Sorry, only _

_Corn Flakes. Meet me for lunch today? Text me._

_Jane_

Maura smiled back at her reflection; Jane always so intuitively managed to know what she was thinking, even when they weren't even in the same room. Running her hands down her dress, smoothing invisible wrinkles, Maura slipped her feet carefully into her heels that were right were she left them last night. She walked back into the bedroom, pausing at the door to gaze back at the room before heading to the coffee pot. A disposable coffee cup was placed next to the coffee maker, and Maura felt a grin break out on her face. Jane must have set it out for her. Smiling at the detective's thoughtfulness, Maura filled her cup and secured the accompanying lid on and grabbed her blazer from the back of one of the barstools. Her heels clicked across the floor and, making sure the door was locked behind her, Maura made her way out of the apartment building to her car. Going down the cement steps towards her Prius that was parked out front, Maura noticed a dark car with tinted windows directly across the street. Hastening her pace, she hurried to her car, fumbling nervously in her purse for her keys. Maura's fingers found the key ring, her eyes trained on the sinister looking vehicle, and tore her gaze down to the door handle of her own car, hands shaking as she tried to get the key in to unlock the blue car. She was painfully aware of her heartbeat, which was now pounding in her ears, and finally she got her key in the car. Maura pulled the door open quickly, folding herself down and into the car. Reaching her hand out to pull the door shut and simultaneously putting the key in the ignition, Maura didn't notice the large hand that shot out to wrap around the car door.

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><p><strong>Cliffhanger, I know! Please review and let me know your thoughts on how the story is progressing, and any suggestions or constructive critiques would be much appreciated! What did you think about the exchange between Jane and Dean? I don't like him at all, but I don't feel it's in his character to be mean to Jane. Sorry if the dialogue between them is confusing; there is more to that story than what has been revealed so far. Let me know what you like and what you don't! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry for the delay in updating, I just got back from a vacation and had this partially complete, but I wanted it to get the time it deserves to be read through and edited properly. Thank you so much for your kind reviews and PMs; they really encourage and motivate to keep continuing with this story. Reviews are love, let me know what you think! I don't own anything, sadly. xx**_  
><em>

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><p><em>Maura's fingers found the key ring, her eyes trained on the sinister looking vehicle, and tore her gaze down to the door handle of her own car, hands shaking as she tried to get the key in to unlock the blue vehicle. She was painfully aware of her heartbeat, which was now pounding in her ears, and finally she got her key in the car. Maura pulled the door open quickly, folding herself down and into the car. Reaching her hand out to pull the door shut and simultaneously putting the key in the ignition, Maura didn't notice the large hand that shot out to wrap around the car door<em>.

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><p>"Maura, wait." The familiar male voice shocked Maura as she inhaled deeply, attempting to calm her erratic heartbeat.<p>

"Agent Dean, I'm…well, I'm surprised to see you here. What can I do for you?" Maura asked, slightly wary of him, not knowing how long he had been parked outside.

He smiled sadly and pushed his hand through his dark hair before shoving it back in his pocket. "I'm sorry if I scared you Doc, but I just wanted to talk to you about Jane."

Maura stiffened in the driver's seat, her head telling her to be on her guard, but she pushed it to the side, attempting to remain calm. "Agent Dean, I hate to be rude, but I was on my way to work, and I really would prefer to be prompt-"

"It'll just take a second. I uh…well, I just wanted to tell you I know about you and Jane."

Maura tilted her head slightly. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

Gabriel Dean chuckled softly, and leaned against the open car door. "I'm not blind, Doctor Isles."

Maura felt a sense of unease slowly creep back into her mind, unsure of his intentions and where the conversation was heading. She opened her mouth to deny any knowledge of what he was insinuating, but she shut it immediately, knowing that she couldn't speak untruthfully.

"Look, Maura," the FBI agent brought his tone down a notch, using her first name as a more informal way of speaking, "what happened between Jane and I…well a lot happened, but you should know she never stopped thinking about you. Jane and I were over before we even started. But you two, it was never over. I guess I just kept holding on, thinking that someday she would move on and settle for what was in front of her. But you and I know that that's not Jane." He chuckled again, in a sad defeat, and for a moment, Maura felt a slight wave of guilt for the grief this man was going through. "And then that day on the street, I saw everything all over again. Seeing you two together…anyway, it makes Jane happy. You make Jane happy, Maura. God, I think that was the first time she cracked a smile in months. She deserves that happiness, and that wasn't something I could give her."

Maura furrowed her brow, drawing a slight crease across her forehead as she processed his words. Was he…?

"I know you have to get to work, but I just wanted to tell you." Agent Dean tapped his hand on the door before carefully closing it. Maura opened the window, letting some air flow into the stuffy vehicle. She watched him walk across the street to the dark car, and she shifted into drive.

"Oh and Maura," Dean said from across the street, "don't walk away from her this time."

Maura nodded slightly, sending him a polite smile before pulling out from the curb and heading in the direction of her work. She smiled again, this time a wider grin than before. Her heart soared in her chest; the honey blonde couldn't wait to get to work because it would be that much closer to lunchtime and that much closer to Jane.

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><p>"Shit Frost, he's heading out the back!" Jane yelled, her long strides carrying her quickly across the small kitchen towards the back door of the split level house they had been investigating.<p>

Frost spun quickly around and took off around the side of the house where he saw a glimpse of a red hoodie disappearing over the rickety wooden fence. "Jane, he's over the fence!" Frost gracefully leapt over the fence, his legs churning before he even hit the ground.

Spying Frost racing down the alleyway after their suspect, Jane changed direction, making a split second decision, turning hard on her ankle, and streaking along parallel to the alley, hoping to head him off. Her ankle throbbed painfully, but she pushed past it, justice heavy on her mind. As she came out by the graffiti clad cement warehouse, she heard Frost shouting down the alleyway. "POLICE, FREEZE!" The man in the red sweatshirt burst past the building and Jane lunged forward, tackling the suspect to the ground. He thrashed, an elbow flying up and catching the corner of Jane's eye socket. Blinking in shock and pain, Jane's arm flew out reflexively and latched her hand around his free arm before pulling the other arm behind his back.

"Get off me!" The man's rough voice spat out at her as she cuffed his wrists together.

"Yeah, yeah, is that what your ex girlfriend said when you beat her to death?" Jane yanked the man up by his elbow, and Frost came thundering up beside her.

"Got it Rizzoli?" Frost wheezed, doubled over after the efforts of his high speed pursuit.

"Yeah, Frost, I got this. Bring his ass in." Jane passed the man over to the arriving uniform and drug her arm across her brow, wincing as it brushed over her injured eye. _Damn, that's gonna be a pretty one._

Jane slid into the driver's seat of her squad car and glanced at the clock. _2:45pm. _"Aw, shit."

"Shit's right…damn Rizzoli, check out the beginnings of that shiner!" Frost chuckled at her, and Jane shot him a pointed glare that made him cough and suppress his grin. She looked up into the rearview mirror and the outer part of her eye was already swelling and turning an angry red color.

"Aw, fuck!" Jane gently rubbed at the mark, flinching at the dull pain that was throbbing behind her eye. She glanced down at her cell phone, after becoming convinced the mark wasn't coming off, and saw she had two missed calls. _Maura. Dammit! _She quickly typed out a text. _Maur, sorry, caught a lead. Let me make it up, dinner this weekend? _

Jane put the car in gear and headed off toward the station, silently hoping Maura wouldn't be upset. There was so much left unsaid between them, and she had hoped they could start moving forward.

"So…Doc Isles is back huh?" Frost inquired curiously, his attempts to mask the curious tone in his voice failing.

Jane flicked her eyes over to him, catching the look he gave her before dragging her eyes slowly back to the road, turning onto a one way street. "Uh…yeah, I guess." She could feel his eyes boring a hole through the side of her head, not satisfied with her answer. "Look, Frost, whatever you got to say, just say it."

"Hey! I was just wondering. Korsak saw her in Cavanaugh's office this morning, why didn't you tell me she was coming back to BPD?"

Jane whipped her head back to face him this time, her brow creased in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Taking Pike's place. He's retiring come the end of this month ya know, and I guess Cavanaugh asked her to come back first before looking for a replacement…you didn't know? Haven't you seen her?"

"We uh, well, yeah I've seen her, but we didn't exactly talk about work." Jane ran her free hand through her hair, propping her elbow up on the side of the door, resting her knuckles on her temple. _Maura's coming back to work? _Jane's stomach fluttered nervously, and she brought her thumb inside her fist, rubbing firmly over the raised flesh on her palm.

Frost chuckled. "Yeah, I'll bet."

Jane shook her head and pulled up out front of the precinct, slamming the car door shut and shoving her thumbs through her belt loops. "Did she say yes?"

Frost shrugged and climbed the stairs, and Jane pushed her swirling thoughts from her mind. They had a missing child to find. Maura was going to have to wait.

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><p>Maura's phone beeped twice, and snapping off her gloves she placed them in a metal container, moving away from the body she was working on. Picking up her cell, she saw the message from Jane. Sighing, she placed the phone back down. She had figured that Jane wouldn't stand her up if she could help it, but what she couldn't help was the twinge of rejection she had felt earlier when her calls went unanswered. Maura had been looking forward to their lunch date, but she knew the demands of Jane's job and that it was touch and go with her. She had pushed the feeling down, and getting the text from Jane reassured her. Putting her gloves back on, she returned to inspecting the stomach contents of the John Doe on her table. Maura couldn't help but drift back to when she was at BPD and Jane was by her side during the autopsies. <em>Jane. <em>Pushing her thoughts aside, she merged back into professional mode. Jane was going to have to wait.

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><p>"Get his ass in the chair." Their suspect, 22 year old Jason Perez was forcefully plopped down in the chair by a uniform, who quickly exited the room with raised eyebrows, to which Frost shot him a hard look as he shut the door.<p>

Jane pulled the chair out from the opposite side of the table and turned it around, swinging one leg over and effectively straddling the metal chair. "Where is your son?"

"Look lady, I haven't seen him since Gloria's parents got custody. That bitch shouldn't have even been allowed to see him, she couldn't even stay off the streets long enough to get a fucking cheeseburger." The man leaned forward, snarling his last comment before returning to his slouch against the back of the chair.

"Don't play games with me kid, we got your fingerprints all over the crime scene." Frost said from his stance against the wall, before sidling up to the table and tossing a bagged crowbar on the table. It landed with a clang, none of the occupants flinching. "And on the crowbar you used to beat Gloria Walden to death. Her blood and your fingerprints are all over it."

"I don't know how they're on there, I didn't kill nobody."

"Always the hard way with these ones, huh Detective Frost?" Jane stood up, pushing the chair away, and leaned her hands on the table, looming over the suspect. "Tell us where your son is Jason, and we can work something out."

The man remained silent and Jane brought her fist down on the table. "WHERE IS YOUR SON? Or did you just get rid of him just like his mother?"

Jason Perez stood up and barked back. "I didn't kill nobody you fucking bitch!"

In a flash, Jane had his back up against the wall of the interrogation room, with her hand on his throat. "Bastards like you shouldn't be able to reproduce."

Frost launched himself towards the pair, pulling at Jane before she came out of her trance, shaking her head slightly. "Jane, hey, let it go. Go walk it off."

Jane turned on her heel and yanked open the heavy door before slamming it behind her. Striding over to her desk, she rested both hands on the edge of it and leaned forward, the weight of the situation weighing heavily on her shoulders. Early that morning a dead hooker showed up in a dumpster, beaten to death by a crowbar found kicked underneath. They ran her photo through the records and ID'd her as Gloria Walden, daughter of Richard and Carrie Walden, and the mother of 3 year old Samuel Walden. Richard and Carrie had been awarded custody of Samuel when the court ruled that Gloria, with her rap sheet of being arrested for heroin possession and prostitution, was unfit to be Samuel's legal guardian. The father, Jason Perez, hadn't even showed up to petition for visitation rights. Then, Gloria's body was found early this morning, and only mere hours later, Carrie Walden was shot in her home where she had been with Samuel, and the boy was missing. She was alive, the bullet hitting her in the left shoulder, and when Jane and Frost went to her hospital room, she told them Jason had come for his son, shooting her and taking Samuel with. Korsak had run the name through the database and pulled up his record. He had served 3 years for attempted robbery when he was 18 and his prints matched the ones on the crowbar found at the scene.

Jane hung her head, rolling her shoulders as she took a deep breath. _How are people like this allowed to have children? And the ones that actually deserve a child…it's not fucking fair. _Slamming her fist down on her desk again, Jane winced as her hand made a soft crack this time when it hit the hard wood of her desk.

"Damn Rizzoli, take a Midol." Detective Crowe's voice cut through the air as he walked past her, widening his eyes at Korsak, who was watching Jane intently from his desk.

Jane narrowed her eyes menacingly at him. "Shut the fuck up Crowe."

"Rizzoli, my office, now." Lieutenant Cavanaugh said from his now open office door across the room, and Jane swore under her breath as she trudged over, shutting the door behind her. "Take a seat."

Jane dropped down into a chair. "Look, I'm sorry, it's just, this case, we've got a missing 3 year old and-"

Cavanaugh cut her off. "It's a tough case, I know. But we need our best people on it, and they need to be at their best right now. I want you to go home Rizzoli, and I'll have Barry call you if they find any leads, but right now, I want you to go home and get some rest."

Jane scowled darkly. "That's bullshit and you know it."

"I just want you to take the evening off. We'll call you if we get anything more," the lieutenant stated in a no-nonsense tone, and Jane knew there was no point arguing. She sighed and stood, turning to leave when he spoke to her again.

"Look, Jane, I know this one hits close to home. But as soon as we find something, we'll call you."

Jane nodded tersely, and shut his door on the way out, grabbing her jacket from the back of her chair and left the station in a hurry, arriving at her apartment ten minutes later. Opening the door, she was greeted by Joe Friday, who began barking excitedly upon seeing her owner. Jane bent down to pet her head, and the sharp pain she had been ignoring in her ankle shot up her leg.

"Aw, shit!" Hobbling over to the freezer, Jane took out a bag of frozen peas and a beer and went and sat down in front of the tv. Placing the bag directly over her ankle, Jane tucked her other leg underneath her on the couch and twisted off the cap on her beer, letting the cold liquid rush through her body. Her phone beeped at her side, and she opened the message.

_Of course Jane. Dinner this weekend sounds perfect. I'll look forward to it. Maura._

Jane settled back into the well worn couch cushions, her eyes fluttering open and shut before she allowed herself to succumb to the heaviness of sleep.

It seemed only moments had passed when her cell phone blared loudly, causing Jane to jump awake, the bag of peas that had long since defrosted falling onto the floor. Blinking hard a few times to clear her vision, Jane held her phone away from her face to get a good look at the screen. She got instantly to her feet and slung her jacket over her shoulder, heading for the door.

"What've you got for me Frost?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I have no excuses, other than the fact that I totally lost my drive on this story. But thanks to my LLBIFF Randall, who pushed me to get this out, I've finally got an update on this story for y'all! Hopefully my mojo will get kickin again, and I can have more frequent updates. If you're still reading, thank you so much! I appreciate each and every single one of you that take the time to read (and sometimes even review!) this story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Leave me some feedback; I always love to hear from you guys! All rights to JTam, Tess, TNT, and I don't own the gals.**

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><p>Jane rapped on the cheap wooden door of Charlotte Ramsey's apartment, the sharp sound of her knuckles barely being heard over the loud music that was coming from a few doors down. She waited impatiently, her hand on her hip and a peeved look on her face. Knocking again, she made a fist this time. It had taken four days, but Jason Perez had finally settled on a deal to knock down his sentence, and he had in turn given up the address of his girlfriend's apartment.<p>

"Charlotte Ramsey? This is Boston PD, open up." Jane called out loudly, her brow furrowing, and she looked at Frost. "Are you sure you got the right address?"

Her partner tilted his head to the side and slanted his eyes pointedly at her.

The sound of the door creaking open behind them caused both detectives to turn around. Crying filled the air, and a tired looking brunette opened the door, the deadbolt keeping it from opening any further. There were dark circles around the girl's green eyes, and Jane gathered from the loud crying resonating off the walls that the girl hadn't had a proper night's sleep in some time.

"Are you Charlotte Ramsey?" Jane asked her, while reaching for her badge on her hip and pulled it up to show the girl her ID. The brunette gulped and nodded, and her eyes darted back and forth between Jane and Frost. "Can we come in?"

"Is this about Jason? Do you know where he is?" Charlotte reached up, sliding the deadbolt open and pulling the door wide, letting the detectives inside. Stepping inside the dingy apartment, Jane noticed the slight musty smell and resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose. Charlotte went over to the second hand playpen that was set up in the middle of their living room, and picked up the toddler and began bouncing him on her hip, trying to quiet his sobs. Jane instantly recognized him as Samuel and shared a look with Frost. Samuel's cheeks were blotchy and red, and his eyelashes were dark with tears.

Jane took a deep breath before easing into the subject as gently as possible. "Charlotte, we have Jason in investigative custody. We're gonna need you to come down to the station with us for some questions, okay?"

"Am I in trouble here?" Charlotte stopped bouncing the child on her hip, causing the boy's sobs to escalate.

"Let's go talk at the station."

Charlotte nodded and looked around her, as if she was searching for something. Awkwardly shifting the boy on her hip, she lifted him and held him out towards Jane in desperation. "Here, I just need to grab my purse."

"Uh…yeah…um…" Jane didn't know what to do, so she took the boy from Charlotte, smiling at him as he looked up into her eyes with his bright shiny blue ones. His brown hair stuck out in tufts at the sides, mucus running from his nose, and Jane quickly found herself holding him to her front and slowly rocking him back and forth. The sobs decreased to whimpers and occasional hiccups, and Jane felt his head get heavy on her chest as Samuel tucked his arm up and slipped his thumb in his mouth.

As Charlotte re-emerged from her room with her bag in tow, she smiled when she saw the detective with the sleeping boy. "Hey, you're pretty good at that. You got kids?"

The question hit Jane like a slap in the face, but she recovered quickly. "Nope, no kids." As she turned to follow Charlotte, she caught Frost's eye once again.

His eyes were warm with concern for his partner and he cleared his throat casually. "You got this Rizzoli?"

"Yeah, yeah I got this."

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><p>Five hours later, Samuel was back with his grandparents. Charlotte, as it turned out, had no idea of the custodial agreement and was very compliant with the detectives, even going as far to aid them in their case by agreeing to testify as a witness against Jason Perez. At 8pm, Frost shooed Jane out of the bullpen to go home and get some rest. Jane had stumbled wearily up the stairs to her apartment, kicking her boots off haphazardly by the door, before making her way into her bedroom. Reaching around blindly at the top of her closet, she retrieved a small box and tossed it on the bed. Tucking a leg up on the large bed, the brunette ran a hand through the mass of curls that had gone limp after the long day. She opened the lid and tossed it across the bed. Jane tipped the box up and shook it, spilling its contents onto the bed in front of her. And she stared. She carefully organized the items in front of her, and as her eyes became foggy with threatening tears, she shook her head and chalked it up to a lack of sleep and began to leave a trail of clothes across the bedroom. Shutting the door firmly behind her, she threw on the hot water in the shower, before clambering in, letting the steam and spray claim her sanity.<p>

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><p>Maura had gone home at 5 o'clock that day with an odd sense of unease. Jane would tell her that she should "listen to her gut." Jane had changed her over the years, and it was her gut that caused her to drive by Jane's apartment that night. After having heard nothing from the detective during the rest of the week, Maura began to grow concerned. As she drew closer to Jane's apartment building, she saw Jane's squad car parked by the sidewalk. Flicking her eyes up to the window of her apartment, she noticed a dim light on inside. Maura rolled her eyes. Jane was probably watching infomercials again. That or some sports game. She glanced over her shoulder and made a U-turn, intent on driving away and letting Jane call her when she was ready, but there it was again, that darn gut feeling. Maura parked her Prius snugly to the curb, properly within twelve inches, and got out of the vehicle without hesitation. Not wasting time in thinking her actions through, she climbed the flights of stairs leading her to Jane's door. Raising her hand to the door, she rapped her knuckles firmly on it. When Jane didn't answer, she knocked again. This time when she received no answer, she located the key to Jane's apartment at the bottom of her bag that she had been given for emergencies.<p>

There, she hesitated. Was it too soon to act like things were back to normal? Did she even have the right anymore to use the key to unlock the door, or even have the key at all? A force that she couldn't explain pulled the key to the lock, and it was almost as if the door opened of its own accord. Maura knew that was a silly thought, doors couldn't open themselves, but she felt as if her body wasn't the one in control. Pushing the door open, Maura peeked her head around and scanned the kitchen. No Jane.

"Jane?" Maura called out softly, not wanting to alarm the detective. The soft glow that had been emanating from the window was the stove light. The rest of the apartment was dark. Sliding off her heels at the door, Maura set her bag on the couch but kept her jacket on as a chill swept over her. _It has to be close to 50 degrees in here, which is odd because Jane would have turned the heat up when she got home. _An eerie feeling settled over Maura, who shook her head, quickly dismissing the possibility of danger. _That's just a game that the mind plays when confronted with a dark and seemingly empty place. _Moving towards Jane's bedroom, Maura saw a light coming from underneath the cracked door.

When she got to the door, Maura knocked gently. "Jane?" She received no response. Gently pushing the door open, Maura peered in and saw the bathroom door was shut, and she could faintly hear the sound of the shower running as her eyes caught the trail of Jane's clothing leading up to the door. _That's odd, _she thought, _there isn't any light coming from the bathroom. _She moved back to exit the room and wait for Jane on the couch, when something on Jane's bed caught her eye. Maura's curiosity got the better of her, and she padded quietly to the bed. Sitting down, she let her eyes rove over the collection of items splayed across the mattress.

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><p>Jane was standing in front of the mirror in her bathroom. The darkness marred her facial features, and all she saw looking back at her was the hollow shell of a woman she hardly recognized. Her right eye was a dark shade of purple, and when she got really close to the mirror, she could see the tell tale puffy outline of her tear-swollen eyes. <em>You shouldn't have taken the baby, Rizzoli. Maybe Cavanaugh was right, maybe it would have been better if you'd taken yourself off this case. <em>Stepping carefully into a pair of sweatpants she had laid on the toilet lid, Jane pulled up the comfortable pants to rest low on her hips before tugging a Red Sox t-shirt over her head. Grabbing a hair tie from the counter, Jane pulled her hair back into a ponytail and ran her hands over her face. Stealing one last disgusted look in the mirror, Jane pulled the bathroom door open and a blonde head snapped up.

Jane had reflexively reached her left hand back to her hip, forgetting her gun was in the nightstand drawer. "Jesus, Maura, what the hell are you doing here?" Her gaze dropped down to Maura's hand, which was holding a photo. Her eyes fell and averted from Maura's stare and she sighed defeatedly. "Maura, please put that away."

"Jane, I'm so sorry, I came home from work, and I just had this feeling that I had to come see you, and I shouldn't have used the key, and I shouldn't have intruded into your bedroom like this-oh my god Jane, your eye!"

Jane held up a hand and Maura's rambling ceased. The brunette ran her hand nervously over her head, forgetting her hair was in a ponytail, and she dropped the arm to her side. "Well, shit." She ambled awkwardly over to the other side of the bed and dropped down. It was pointless to try and hide what had already been seen.

Maura opened her mouth to chastise Jane for her language, but then closed it, realizing she was intruding and now wasn't the time or place. "Jane, I-"

"No Maur, don't. No one was ever supposed to see that. Come on, give it here, I'll put it away." Jane reached for the box, but Maura laid a hand on top of Jane's, stopping her from taking it.

"Jane." The soft name slipped off Maura's tongue so gently that Jane felt a surge of longing lace through her insides before it settled around her heart, pulling the strings like a marionette and pulling her eyes up towards the honey blonde. The hazel eyes that were looking into her own were not filled with pity like she had expected, but a look that caused a lump to form in Jane's throat. Jane was acutely aware of the hand that was now stroking her own, and the brunette moved to pull away, but Maura held tight.

Jane cleared her throat. "Um…Maur, you can uh…you can let go now."

The medical examiner shook her head. "No Jane, I can't. The other night, I told you I loved you, and I meant that. You were angry, and I don't think you heard me." Jane's eyes narrowed slightly, and her mind raced back, trying to recall what Maura was talking about. "Jane, I made the mistake of letting go a year ago because I thought I needed distance."

"Yeah, Maur, I get that, I shot your dad…" Jane trailed off, her brow crinkling with confusion. _Why are we re-hashing this?_

Maura's head began to nod, her honey blonde curls bouncing with the motion, and she inwardly cursed the uncontrollable connection between her amygdala and lachrymal gland as the tears seeped out the corner of her eyes, trickling down and splashing onto their joined hands.

"I don't understand Maura, why did you leave me if you cared that much about me?"

Maura's eyes met Jane's, and the brunette was taken aback at the pain evident in the hazel eyes. "You were going to have a family." The medical examiner's eyes flicked back to the box, and Jane's gaze followed. "I thought that by removing myself from the situation would give me the time and space I needed to move past my feelings and fully process what was going on so that I could eventually come back and try to be the best friend that you needed. But seeing you that day on the street…Jane, I knew I couldn't run anymore. So…" Maura's thumb skimmed over the puckered flesh on the top of Jane's hand, "I'm not letting go this time. I can be that friend again, Jane. I just hope you still want me here."

"Maura, I don't need you to be _that _friend. I need you to be my best friend. I'm not gonna pretend I don't." Reaching into the box, Jane pulled out a folded piece of paper. "I'm going to take Jo out, but I need you to read this. I'll lock the door behind me."

Maura swallowed, nodding her head briskly, and Jane got up, their hands breaking apart. She immediately missed the contact and heard Jane in the kitchen talking to Jo, and then the sound of the apartment door being shut echoed around the empty apartment. All was still, and she unfolded the paper and began to read.

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><p><strong>Leave me some lovin' y'all! xo<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: It took a while, but here's an update! Reviews are love, and I own nothing. A couple lucky bitches that go by Tess and Janet do. Enjoy!**

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><p><em>I don't really know why I'm writing this, but here I am. Broken. I don't know how I'm holding on to be honest. I feel empty. Completely and utterly empty. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. People always think that I'm this big, tough detective, and I am. Or, I was. I don't even know if I want to be a detective anymore. My life has been uprooted and flipped completely upside down. This job that I thought I loved has brought me nothing but heartache and loss. How am I supposed to go catch the bad guys when I think I'm one of them? I've shot countless criminals and each time it was in the line of justice, for the greater good. But this time, this time was different. I'm not sure I did the right thing. The look on Maura's face…I felt my world crumbling down around me. My world began falling even more when I found out I was pregnant. I didn't know how I would do it. My job and life is not exactly compatible with raising a child. And then to top it off, she left. Just gone. I killed her father, and now she's gone. How could I go on when the person that keeps me going is missing from my life? I have no idea where she is, if she's even in the same country as me anymore. I'll never be able to tell her that I love her. She said that to me once, after a disaster with Tommy, and my heart just melted. I should have said it back. Damn me for not saying it back. It's always been Maura. She's always been the one with the power in my life. When she left, I realized this. She makes me, and just as easily, she can break me. <em>

_And here I am, childless, and the one person I care about more than anything else in the world, is gone. I don't really smile anymore. I don't feel happy anymore. I miss her. I miss feeling like she's got my back, and I've got hers. I miss the movie nights at my apartment. I miss going to the Robber after a tough case, and that cute way she'd wrinkle her nose at my beer even though she never tried it. I miss the obnoxious way she would correct me constantly, even though half the time I was just pretending to be clueless so she would launch into one of her random speeches, spewing off random facts that I got to tease her for. And then when I did, she'd smile at me. And oh, that smile. I would do anything to get a smile out of her. Sometimes, I would do it on purpose just to catch a glimpse. That smile could brighten up one of my darkest days, and I have had a shitload of those. Somehow, she always knew what to do to heal me, without her even knowing. I wouldn't even have to say a word. _

_Maura was always the one I went to when things got tough. Just being in her presence I felt safe, I felt like I was coming home. I didn't want to feel this way, we were best friends, and I felt as if I was crossing a line. But when I thought about it, I just realized that line just slowly turned into more. My friendship that I felt for her just turned into more. I would do anything for Maura, even now. We never talked about that day in front of the department, when Bobby Marino had me out there. I never once thought about myself. It was Maura. Frankie too, but my mind just kept repeating to itself that I had to keep Maura safe, no matter what. Because if I lost her, I couldn't forgive myself. But I guess I lost her anyway. I was trying to keep her safe at the warehouse, and even though I knew Paddy Doyle wouldn't have shot her or myself, one ricochet and…I couldn't risk that. I could never risk Maura. I should have told her sooner, before it was too late. Even if she could never love me back the same way, I could have at least told her how much she means to me. I don't do that with people. It was always easy to keep things to myself, because the less people know about your thoughts and feelings, the less they can use them against you. But I should have told Maura. When Hoyt took us in the hospital that day, I felt as though I were dying. My throat closed up and I couldn't breathe. All I could see was Maura's beautiful, tear-streaked face, sobs shaking her little body, and even then, I couldn't move. He wanted to hurt her in front of me, make me watch as he destroyed the one beautiful thing in my life. When he went to her, something switched inside. Physical strength I didn't know I had surged through me, and I had to protect her. After that, we pretended nothing happened, but that night after the party, she stayed late to help clean up, and nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said. She crawled into my bed with me and we just laid there. No words were spoken that night, but we needed each other. I needed her. I was awake far after she had fallen asleep, just listening to her breathing, needing that reassurance that she was still there. _

_I lost the baby two weeks ago today. It was the most painful thing I've gone through, even after Hoyt. I had planned on telling Dean right after I found out I was pregnant that he didn't need to feel obligated to stay with me, hell, I'd be more than capable of doing it on my own. I didn't ever want a relationship with him. I can't sleep, I can't eat. Ma has been staying with me, sleeping on the couch at night, and I don't even want to see Dean. I know he's grieving too, but I just can't bear to see him. He reminds me of every mistake I made with Maura. The only time I feel anything is at night, in the solitude of my own room, where I let myself cry. Sometimes I cry for the baby, the little boy or girl I will never get to meet, other times it's for my best friend. Most of the time, it's a combination of the two. I know she would have stayed with me, she would have been with me. I wanted nothing more than to fall into a hug and let her hold me, but instead I just locked myself in my apartment. I don't want anyone but her. Sometimes, when I'm not having nightmares, I'll dream about her. I'll dream that we're back on that park bench, and the the wind is playing games with her blonde curls. Sometimes I dream that she comes back…because she loves me. But those only moments of happiness that I have are fleeting, because they only exist in the small part of my subconscious that isn't plagued by nightmares and the horrors of reality. That's what it is now. Sometimes I wonder if I can wake up from reality, and this will all have been one terrible nightmare. I don't know how long I can keep this up, because without Maura, and no baby to live for, what is there keeping me here?_

Tears streamed from Maura's eyes and a quiet sob snuck out of her throat as she read the true anguish of Jane's soul, spilled out onto this paper, and she could tell just how broken-hearted she was by the small spots on the page where the ink had smudged and the paper wrinkled, the telltale signs of water damage. Jane poured herself into this paper, leaving the trace of her sorrow in the form of dried tear drops on the page. Maura's own tears dropped to the page, and she hurriedly tried to brush them away. She looked at the display of pictures around her. There was a picture of her and Jane at Jane's birthday party. Angela must have taken it, because Maura didn't remember it being taken. Jane and her were in a tight embrace, Jane's eyes were closed and her nose buried into Maura's blonde tresses. Maura had her hand entangled in the black curls on the back of Jane's head. Maura smiled weakly at the bittersweet memento. Jane had kept it tucked away because of the pain that it caused her to look at what once was. Maura's eyes found another picture on the bed. The black and white mass of swirls were marked as "8 weeks" and her trained eye immediately zeroed in on the tiny fetus. _Jane's baby. _Her eyes stung as tears sprang to them again, and she let the letter fall to the bed as she swept across the room and out the door of Jane's apartment, not even bothering with her shoes or jacket. Taking the steps two at a time, she ran outside into the rain, looking frantically down the street both ways. The water was pouring down from the sky, and her hair began cling to her face.

"Jane?" She yelled, desperately trying to be heard over the din of the rain. "JANE?"

"Maur?" Maura whipped her head around at the sound of the raspy, disbelieving voice as her eyes zeroed in on Jane's lanky form coming towards her, Jo Friday close at her heels. Maura hurried towards Jane, as fast as she could in the dress she was wearing, and she stopped about a foot away from Jane.

"Maura, what the hell are you doing out here? You don't have shoes or anything!" Jane's voice cracked in the higher register of surprise and complete bewilderment at the sight of her friend in front of her.

"Jane Rizzoli, there is only one thing in this world that I need. It's not shoes, it's not a dress, it's not even finding my birth mother. It's standing right in front of me. And it's been right in front of me for the longest time. I love you Jane Rizzoli, now don't you dare ever think about giving up, because I need you." Maura felt the prick of tears at her eyes, but she never felt them fall because the raindrops were sliding down her face. Her hazel eyes watched Jane's face go from total shock to disbelief, and then it crumbled.

Maura's heart dropped in concern as she watched her detective's strong facial muscles quiver. "Jane…what is it?"

"Damn you, Maura Isles." Jane closed the distance between them, her strong hands gripping the medical examiner's shoulders firmly but gently as she pulled her closer, as if she were holding a baby bird. Jane's left hand trailed softly along Maura's shoulder, tracing her collarbone and moving up to cup the shorter woman's cheek. Jane's roughened thumb stroked Maura's cheekbone, and Maura closed her eyes as tears spilled from them. She opened her eyes as Jane moved her other hand up so she could cup both cheeks in her hands, and her thumbs dashed away the tears that had leaked from Maura's eyes. Warm, chocolate brown eyes looked deep into searching hazel, and Maura found herself staring straight into Jane's soul. Jane had let herself be completely vulnerable, completely unguarded, and more naked than any lack of clothes would allow. "Maura Isles, I love you."

Hearing the words Maura had only dreamt about wrenched a sob from her throat but was quickly silenced as Jane's head lowered to capture her lips in a kiss so fierce it ripped the breath out of her lungs. She whimpered into the brunette's mouth, her arms winding around Jane's ribcage to circle her back as she sagged against the woman that had haunted her dreams and her reality. Maura felt Jane's mouth press harder against her own, and she yielded eagerly, opening herself to take all Jane had to give her. Jane felt the air sizzle around her, the electrical current creating a field of energy anchoring them together, as she released Maura's bottom lip from her teeth, breaking for air. Jane felt Maura's lips trail down her jaw, collecting moisture from the raindrops that had gathered there, her mouth open as she panted heavily. Jane's knees buckled suddenly from the gravity of the moment, and Maura was quick to tighten her hold around her.

Lightning suddenly cracked from the sky, lighting up their world as the two women clung to each other as if they were afraid to let go. Jane's body began shaking as sobs wracked through her body, and thunder echoed in their ears and Jo Friday began yapping. Maura was jolted back to earth as she cradled Jane tenderly. Standing on her toes and tilting her head up so she was even with Jane's ear, she whispered to her, and the two made their way inside, Jo Friday following at their heels.

Maura still had one arm wrapped around Jane, who was trembling uncontrollably, and she eased them inside, the water forming a puddle at their feet as she felt for the first time how soaked they were.

"Come on Jane, darling, we have to get out of these clothes." Maura led her to the bathroom, throwing a look over her shoulder at Jo, who had given herself a violent shake before lying down obediently on her dog bed. For once, Maura didn't care about the mess they were making of the floor as the water continued to flow down their legs from their clothes, leaving a wake behind them. Finally making it to Jane's bathroom, Maura sat the brunette down on the toilet seat, dashing back to Jane's room to grab them dry clothes. She rummaged around in Jane's drawers, pulling fresh undergarments out on a second thought. Maura heard the water running from the shower and knocked on the door.

"Jane?" Maura's soft voice flowed under the crack of the door, reaching Jane's ears and the brunette felt a pull in her stomach as she stood under the spray in just her bra and underwear. Silent sobs shook her, and Jane put her hand on the wall of the shower to steady herself as her legs trembled underneath her. Soft hands slid around her waist, and a warm body pressed firmly up against her back as she shook.

"I know Jane, I know."


End file.
